


Say Something Loving

by queenaveline



Category: Sense8 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 15:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10924695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenaveline/pseuds/queenaveline
Summary: He does not see himself as the kind of man who will get to experience something as weak, as dangerous, as precious as love.  She knows her fate is sealed, her hand given away, and love does not look like its on the table.Of course, both are utterly mistaken.Wolfgang and Kala from the start of season one and forward.





	1. One

The evening so far had been to his liking--a quick easy job to line his pockets, a pretty, willing girl to invite him upstairs, a casual dinner, the spices from the Indian food lingering on his tongue. Casual, fun, easy, just what Wolfgang aimed for in a sexual partner. It was all going so well before she uttered that dreaded question:

"...if there's more to this?"

They almost always asked and the answer was always the same. Wolfgang sighed, leaning back in his chair. Relationships, even casual, hook-up based ones, were too much. His own life was enough to handle on his own, and surely any girl would start to question his odd business hours and lack of real clients. It was too many secrets to keep for someone he didn't really care to know. So, he told her:

"I'm not looking for a relationship."

She smiled forcibly at the rejection.

"What are you looking for?" Wolfgang opened his mouth to concoct some vague answer before a flash of navy and red appeared in the corner of his eye. Instinctively, he turned, his response forgotten on his lips, as his eyes tracked the mysterious girl through the restaurant. Indian dressed in the colors and jewels he had only seen in films, serene, steady in her movements, but somehow...lost. He had never seen anyone like her, a colorful beauty in the midst of dark Berlin. Wolfgang found himself entranced beyond belief, taken in by her unique beauty.

But he wasn't merely in the restaurant anymore. His view was of a city, the smell of marigold in the air, his shirt feeling restrictive in the sudden warmth of the night.  _Where am I?_

When he turned she was there again, atop a balcony, her gaze connecting with his, innocent, enchanting, but also--

"Wolfgang? Hey! Is there someone else?"  

Dragged away, she was gone as soon as she had appeared. He scrambled to make up lost ground.

"No, uh...no."

The remainder of the meal passed in the tense way in which both people know they'll never see each other again usually does, and no matter how many times Wolfgang looked over his shoulder, the mystery girl stayed gone. 

~

As Rajan walked away, Kala felt pity at first, then a frantic kind of panic.  The engagement party had been beautiful, everything Kala had ever dreamed, perfectly catered to her every desire.  Rajan was everything she had ever envisioned in a husband: kind and gentle, thoughtful, charismatic, wealthy enough to take care of her and her family forever, and above all, madly in love with her. He had just admitted as much, kissed her even, and still the feelings, the well of emotion she had been waiting on for weeks-- _months_ \--did not manifest.  A man, a match, like this was an opportunity not found in every lifetime, and even as she told herself the feelings would grow, Kala suspected with each passing moment they would never begin.  

Turning her eyes back to the balcony, she saw that the strange man, obviously foreign, with pale skin, intense eyes, and dark clothing, had disappeared entirely.  Perhaps he was a visitor who had wandered in, though somehow she doubted that as thoughts of a crowded restaurant--Indian, but somehow not--and the same gaze clouded her memory.  

Knowing she would never see him again, Kala let herself continue to panic.  


	2. Two

For Kala, the next few days were far from an improvement.  Her home had been turned into a whirlwind of wedding planning activity with aunties in from out of town and her parents constant fussing.  Work offered some respite, in that it gave her a chance to think of something other than her impending unhappiness.  Lying in bed at night, she couldn’t help but feel all Rajan’s efforts were so sickly sweet it made her stomach turn, before her better judgement kicked in, told her she was wrong to think of his love in such a way, that she was taking advantage of her good fortune.

Today, not even work could serve as a distraction, as she was (unnecessarily) dragged into a meeting on fake drugs, with her future husband sitting just down the table.  Smiling at her.  Better yet, a coworker was breathing down her neck asking ‘should you be working with your wedding in two days?’ and making innuendos about lobotomies.

Her phone buzzing abrasively against the table allowed her to look away, to see a text from Rajan. 

‘2 more days :) :)’ it read, as if Kala needed the reminder.  The event itself had always seemed so far away, a something that would happen _eventually_ but was always in the distance.  That distance was growing rather small. 

Kala forced a smile at the attempt, she knew if she actually loved him it would have been sweet.  And that’s what she needed everyone to think.  Kala Dandekar was madly in love with Rajan Rasal, and everyone but she needed to believe it. 

~

The Berlin day dawned grey and cold, as so many did.  Wolfgang never would have chosen the Holocaust memorial as a meeting place as a result of the chill, and the library seemed too open as a place to illegally sell diamonds, but here he was none the less.  He and Felix were beginning to feel the pressure as their usual contacts balked at the large take, so Wolfgang was willing to play along with this old man’s game.  The rocks needed to go.

Certainly, the older gentleman must have picked up on this, as he examined the stones under his lens, humming every now and again.  Felix was antsy in the seat next to him, shifting around uncomfortably as he waited for the decision. The old man was taking his time.  _Probably some kind of bargaining tactic, make us uncomfortable so he can snag a lower price._

“We, like these books, or these diamonds, have the secrets of our past hidden inside us,” The old man began. Again.

“You think a lot about the past, don’t you?” Felix responded.  Wolfgang wondered what the man was angling at.

“Without the past there would be nothing to think about, let alone someone to think it.”

“Deep,” Felix nodded.

Wolfgang disagreed.  He tried to think about the past as little as possible, and talk about it even less.  Though somehow, his thoughts still seemed to be filled with it, his choices altered by it at every step. 

“You certainly weren’t lying, these are beautiful,” _Finally down to business,_ Wolfgang thought. He was hoping the old man might be senile enough to offer them a deal.  Not that he had anything against the guy, but Wolfgang wasn’t looking forward to being shot in the head by his cousin if the rocks didn’t sell.

“Shall I be honest? I know I was probably last on your list, I’m an outsider to you, but I think I know where these rocks came from.”

Wolfgang kept his face neutral, but the conversation was headed nowhere good. 

“Out of Mumbai, I’m guessing,” The old man continued, his eyes narrowing. “And I know who’s going to come looking for them.

_Shit._

He was sharper than he looked. Felix shot a glance over to Wolfgang that could be interpreted as panic. 

“They will not be easy to move unless I recut them.  Recut, the will have a fraction of their worth.”

That just about did it.  The old man wouldn’t give them close to what they needed to make the lift worth it, and if he knew Steiner was after them would never choose to buy.  Time to move on.

“Come on Felix,” Wolfgang grabbed the velveteen bag off the desk.  “I knew this was a waste of time.”

“Hang on,” Felix grabbed him.  “Really? After we listened to all your bullshit?”

“If you were listening to my bullshit, I said it would not be easy.  I did not say it would not be possible.”

From there, Wolfgang’s day took a surprising turn into the fortunate.

~

At this point, Kala was sure Ganesha was not listening, but the temple seemed to be the only place she could be left alone.  There, where no one knew her, or who she was set to marry, she could ask for guidance, allow herself to stop pretending for just a moment. 

After Rajan’s latest profession of love—in front of the entire family no less--some peace and quiet would be heaven.  Kala was certain she would not stop hearing about the incident for days.

The familiar smells of spices and flowers from offerings washed over her, though the posters were new.  And of…her future father in law, if she was not mistaken.  _How can this be possible?_

“Ah, I have seen you before,” An old man called from his perch. “You pray to Ganesha.”

It _was_ Rajan’s father.  And Rajan.  Covering her temple walls, angry slogans over their faces. 

“I do.” She replied.

“If these men have their way, you will never be allowed to pray again.”

“What?”

_What? What could he possibly mean? I would certainly know more than he, I’m engaged to a Rasal._

“They want to strip away our traditions. They are trying to destroy our India, and turn it into America.” He replied.

_This cannot possibly be true. I would know._

“That’s not true.”

“It is, these are the facts,” The old man said, as Kala reluctantly accepted the paper he passed to her.  “They use their evil drug money to buy politicians, who are going to outlaw people like us and temples like this.”

Kala had known Rajan’s father was progressive: the suits, the way in which he ran his company, his distaste for the Indian wedding traditions.  She had assumed it was a personal decision, but what if…?

No, certainly these were all lies.  She would know.  How could she not?

“We are blessed to come here every day and pray for their deaths.  Pray with us.” The old man smiled at her as he said it, and Kala hurried away.

It seemed even at the temple she could not escape her future, and now she wondered just what she was getting into. 

~

 _Tonight is good,_ Wolfgang thought drunkenly.  It hadn’t been without its idiosyncrasies: dirt and mud in a shoe straight off the shelf, bonds around his wrists as he attempted a toast.  These strange hallucinations were so vivid he wasn’t sure what to call them, and they were becoming more frequent. 

Nonetheless, the diamonds were sold, he had cash in his pocket and Steiner was thrown off the trail.  A good night.

Perhaps it was this good mood that inspired him to go onstage at karaoke, even though Wolfgang knew fully well he hated performing _anything_ in front of _anyone._ The memories (his teacher, prodding him on, the lights blinding his face, and even though he couldn’t see, no one else but his father could laugh so cruelly) were so real he felt as if he were reliving them.  But then, the song came on, and all of that was forgotten as he gave into Felix’s cheers from the audience and sang.

At this time of night, 'drunken mumble' seemed more accurate. 

As the song progressed Wolfgang was suddenly aware he wasn’t the only one singing it, feeling like he was in so many other places, living other different lives.  It was happening again. Not that it was unpleasant, just…distracting. Strange. Concerning to be sure, but comforting in its sense of wholeness.

The song hit a lull and Wolfgang tried not to utterly embarrass himself as he hummed along, but as sudden and as certain as in the restaurant, he felt a presence at his side. 

He knew before looking that it would be the girl. 

She stood there, dressed in a lime green silk shirt, tiny little shorts, her hair draping in waves over her shoulders as she looked up at him through those same open eyes.  _How is this possible?_

He didn’t think she could be in the club, her clothing, her demeanor all spoke against it.  No, this was the same kind of vision he had been having throughout the day, Wolfgang was sure of it.

Suddenly, he found himself not in the club at all, but on a rooftop overlooking a city that wasn’t his own.  The same warm breeze lingered in the air like before, and Wolfgang knew he was correct. 

It felt wrong somehow to stop singing, and when he started again the girl giggled, gazing back up at him and shyly ‘ooh-ing’ along herself.  She was beautiful to be sure, but at that moment the only thing Wolfgang could think of was how shockingly bright she was. Even in the dark of the club or the quiet of the rooftop, it seemed as if the sun itself lived within her smile, and as much as Wolfgang knew he should look away before he blinded himself, he was transfixed.

Wolfgang had known many girls, and many more women, but none of them had ever smiled at him like that, free of ulterior motives or desires, filled with simple joy at the moment. He felt his chest clench at the sensation, although he couldn't have said why.

Taking a breath, he sang the song back at her, his mouth curling in a grin around the words. And the girl, well, she sang right back with twice the passion, at the bar, on the rooftops, on the bed in a golden-lit room.  It was impossible not to mirror her animation, yelling the song with a passion he hadn’t known he had for 4 Non Blondes as he sang back at her:

“ _What’s going on?”_  The irony of the situation was lost on Wolfgang, as suddenly they seemed very close standing on that bed, her brown eyes shining up at him, her lips still smiling.  He didn’t make a habit of kissing random, semi-real strangers, but he felt happier than he had since…ever, it seemed.  And he could feel her happiness as well, as real as if it were his own. 

Everything seemed right as the song played in the background, and Wolfgang began to tilt his head forward just so.

~

She had been sitting on the roof again, trying to decipher what had happened in the temple, when the man appeared again.  The same intense, bright eyes, sandy hair, and dark clothing as before.  Kala had been experiencing…visions as of late, people and places that were impossibly far away.  The scientist in her had reasoned it was because of stress over the wedding and her future.  The believer, however, felt something quite different.

She was in a dark, grimy building, the smell of alcohol in the air and laughter in her ears.  Kala had only seen places like this in films, and felt almost naked in her pajamas, in front of everyone but invisible.  Yet somehow, this man felt more real than anything in the room, singing the song that had been stuck in her head in a broken baritone. 

It was impossible not to smile along with his efforts, to try to join in herself.  And the more Kala sang, the more she felt him relax, his smile growing, his eyes sparkling.  _They’re so bright._   The song grew louder, and her movements freer, the man shouting back at her with the same feeling, the same joyful abandon that everything she had seen about him so far suggested he should not possess.

The wedding, the temple, all was forgotten as she sang, feeling lighter than she had in weeks, and somehow knowing this man felt just the same way.

Kala did not know how, but suddenly she was aware of how close he was on top of her bed, her childhood room around them.  With his eyes on hers, she did not feel like brilliant scientist or the future wife of a billionaire, but a simple girl, staring up at a boy with butterflies in her stomach and a smile on her lips.

In her lifetime, she had kissed only several times, but all of that was forgotten as she leaned in, the song playing in the background as he—

“Kala!” Everything disappeared with a blink of an eye, as Daya ripped open the curtains.

_How can it all be gone, just like that?_

“You were singing in English and dancing!”

Kala wasn’t sure what to say. As much as she tried to search for the connection to bring it back, she felt nothing.  Another vision, certainly.  Perhaps Ganesha was trying to teach her something.

“I was dreaming,” she told her sister, sitting on the bed.

“You were smiling at someone,” Daya pressed.

“Oh, dear,” Kala mumbled. _Here we go again. I’d prefer to go back to the dreaming._

“I’ve never seen you smile like that.”

Kala’s face dropped.  _Never?_ It was true, she had felt so infinitely happy in the moment, but it was a dream, something in her brain that could never be real.

But it had felt real.  Something in her gut kept telling her over and over, something about all this, these crazy events, these people, were as real as Daya next to her.

“I know!” Daya continued. “Was it Rajan?”

_No, little sister, it was a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in all black from a city far far away, who lives exclusively in my head and sings karaoke._

Instead, Kala simply nodded yes. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think, thanks for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> I am absolute sense8 and Kalagang trash, so here I am posting the first fic I've written in 2 years. 
> 
> Title 100% stolen from the XX song.


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